1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming play, particularly card gaming play, and wagering card games that may be played as a casino table card game, a console station for multiple players or as a video slot machine game.
2. Background of the Art
Casinos regularly desire to obtain new games to maintain player interest and excitement. Although the traditional games of Blackjack (twenty-one), Bacarrat, and Poker (and its variants) have been staples at casinos, additional games have been regularly added for variety and stimulation. Even variations of standard games such as blackjack have been introduced, with games such as 13—Over and Under (a side bet wager game), Spanish Twenty-One™ game enjoying some success. Many poker variants have been introduced, such as Let It Ride® poker, Caribbean Stud® poker, Three-Card™ poker, and the like. The benefits of these poker variant games include the fact that any number of players (up to the table limit and the cards available from the deck) may play games either against the dealer's hand or against a pay table. Even single players may play some of these games, with or without a dealer hand.
Even Casino War™ card game has achieved some level of play in casinos because it is easy to understand, competitive, and some extended play can be enjoyed at the table at moderate cost levels. These are definite attributes of casino games. It is always desirable to develop new and additional games for play in casinos, especially those that can be quickly learned, have a level of excitement and expectation to them, and have strategies that are easily understood.
One game that enables play of a side bet with a stream of cards being sought is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,730 which describes a unique method for a wagering game achieved by providing a side bet opportunity during the play of a Twenty-One game. The player is given the opportunity to place this side bet with the hope of receiving winnings when certain predetermined card configurations are received. Upon receipt of these defined card configurations, the player is immediately paid winnings during the process of the Twenty-One game. These additional winnings are based on sequences of cards and are independent and separate from wagers in the Twenty-One game. Additionally, all of the predetermined card configurations are preferably chosen such that they will not interfere with the underlying Twenty-One game. As a basis for paying out winnings, it is required that the player consecutively receive these certain card configurations during the play of the Twenty-One game after having made a bet in expectation of those card configurations appearing. Also, the final configuration of the Twenty-One hand is irrelevant to the side bet game as the players win immediately when the predetermined configurations are received, long before completion of the hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,189 describes casino table card play in general terms. In a casino card game, provisions are made for a jackpot component awarded after initially dealt cards are reviewed and additional cards are dealt, in which predetermined prizes are awarded players who participate in the jackpot component by placing additional wagers and the prizes are based upon preselected arrangements of playing cards in the hands after additional cards are dealt. There is no sequence of cards in order described and the disclosure is for bonus games and jackpots.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,291 (Vancura) describes a casino table wagering game in which random events and their associated values are used (e.g., card rank). The teachings include a set of higher/lower hitting and standing rules in which a participant's successive event values are compared to determine the success or failure of a strategic decision. As a table game vs. a house dealer, the overall player's objective in a preferred embodiment is not to bust while achieving more hits than the dealer who plays by a fixed set of rules. Variations include a solitaire version, different payoff criteria and schedules, different definitions of what constitutes a successful hit, versions with a guaranteed-winner bonus round, and the introduction of jokers which may be helpful and/or harmful to the player's hand. When the dealer busts, the player automatically wins.